Commuting between Palakkad and Thrissur through National Highway 47 has turned into a harrowing experience with the widening works in the Vadakkancherry and Mannuthi stretch coming to an abrupt halt in the last one week.
The stalling of the six-laning works half way has made vehicular traffic extremely miserable. Though the private company which under took the works under Built, Operate, Transfer (BOT) basis is yet to cite any reason for the sudden stoppage of works, workers involved in the project alleged that financial constraints of the company had resulted in the present situation.
The workers said they were yet to get their payments for the last two months. Vehicles hired for the project from the nearby areas had also to be paid for. According to company sources, the works would be resumed only after getting loans the firm had applied for from various nationalised banks.
With the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) refusing to renew the existing agreement with the company citing inordinate delay in the works, the issue is getting more complicated. The works, which are remaining pending since 2012, have resumed only in October last year providing greater hopes for regular commuters.
The company has reportedly spent Rs.140 crore already on the widening works.
“The road already is riddled with potholes and ditches. With the widening works stopped halfway, commuting is getting extremely difficult,” said N. Vasudevan, a businessman from Palakkad who regularly travel on the stretch. Earlier, the company cited land acquisition hurdles as the reason for the delay. “The company could not widen the NH stretch to six-lane highway, despite the resolution of issues including land acquisition. Besides, the agency also failed to conduct routine maintenance work on the existing road,” alleges V. Sukumaran, a local resident. The company was awarded the contract to widen the 28-kilometer stretch between Mannuthi and Vadakkanchery on BOT basis in February 2010.
